Lemon Curd, prettier than it sounds!

In preparation for baking lemon scones this weekend, I decided to try my hand at making lemon curd, since a not-so-generous jar costs quite a bit in the grocery store, and even more at specialty food markets.  How difficult can it be?  Well, it turns out it is not difficult at all, in fact, it's easy and very inexpensive to make.  Must be the pretty packaging accounts for the steep price these days.  And now that I've made it myself, there's no going back (unless I get fooled again by that pretty jar!  It's been known to happen!).

The recipe I used is from Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and a woman I've been compared to, in a big way, more than once (that's a fact).   Is it her dark hair and light complexion?  Is it her manner of speech or group of friends?  OR is it that we both love to bake and cook?  Hmmm.  I think it's more that we're both decades away from our former slender selves AND we love to bake and cook.  The subtle differences are not-so-subtle when you get right down to it -- that house in the Hamptons thing, beachfront property, life on the Atlantic...well, I can wish, and if she needs a stand-in for a few days or the better part of a year, I'm willing (as long as I can take my big and little loves along!).

Speaking of which, I am about to set out on a trip to the sand and surf -- the annual Emerald Isle August trip with my sister Anne and her family, in about 3 and a half hours.  I was up so late baking that if I go to sleep, I'll be miserable when I wake up (yes, I can be miserable!).  So I'm thinking it's better to just stay awake and do productive things like write my blog and maybe pack my bag (nope, not done yet, and it's 4:23 am!). Take a shower.  I'm really looking forward to this trip.  It's pretty much the most fun I have all year, and to say I have been looking forward to getting A-WAY  is a major understatement.  But, before I can have fun, relax, and actually 'vacate' things around here, I had to bake up a STORM (hope for no additional storms on vaca)...  Hence, the lemon curd.  I made it last night and it is not only tasty, it's also pretty. Pretty food can always find its place on my table.

Here's Ina's recipe, followed by my photos.

Even the lemon peel is beautiful - look at that texture! (click to enlarge)

Typically, I blog away while I'm down in E.I., but the loaner laptop from work was still out.  Not sure I'll master blogging on my phone (isn't going to happen) but what I can do is post photos on my fb page, and perhaps get my techno-genius nephew Will (on his way to the College of Charleston) to set me and my phone up.  Look for pictures, there are always pictures!

I'll miss you, my readers, while I'm away, but if I see or experience anything spectacular (which will happen) I'll let you know somehow!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Raspberry and Cream Crumb Cake

I've been thinking about this recipe for a while.  A few posts back I wrote about crumb cake muffins, and the topping has had me fascinated ever since.  After Christmas, my co-worker Tom (we call him "Tommy T!") came back from Long Island and brought in a crumb cake his mom  had made over the holidays.  It was amazing, with a crumb topping so thick and buttery that I was in awe of her skill!  It had been a very long time since I'd had crumb cake (Entenmann's maybe?), and suddenly it was very apparent what I'd been missing and didn't even know it!

In thinking about baking a true crumb cake, I wanted something unique, something my own.  I found highly-rated recipes on-line for a plain crumb cake, or a blueberry version, but I kept thinking about raspberry.  I love, love, love a raspberry cheese danish, and this recipe is my crumb cake version of that favorite.  I made a basic coffee cake base, then a cheesecake batter to dollop on top, and then melted red raspberry preserves to spoon over the top of that.  Then I took a big spoon and turned the batters over in wide sweeps to keep each part identifiable while creating a swirl of all three luscious components.  Once the swirling was complete, I sprinkled a crumb topping over the whole thing.  It sounds like a lot more work than it really is.  It didn't take long to put it together.  It's baking now as I write this post.  It is an experiment, but I hope it is a successful one.   My co-workers will be the judges tomorrow morning (surprise!).  First, photos, and then the recipe:

All that's left is the taste-testing at work tomorrow!

Here's the recipe:


RASPBERRY AND CREAM CRUMB CAKE
inspired by Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake
takes about an hour to bake

Oven 350 degrees F
Grease or spray 9-10" springform pan

Coffee Cake Base:

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add sour cream and mix well.

Stir together dry ingredients in small bowl.  Add to butter/sugar mixture and beat will until thoroughly combined, scraping bowl as necessary.

Spread batter in prepared pan.

Make cheesecake filling:

1 bar (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 tbsp. all purpose flour

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined.  Add egg and beat well.  Add sour cream, vanilla, and lemon extract.  Beat well.  Add flour and beat until completely incorporated.

Drop cheesecake batter in dollops over top of coffee cake batter.

In microwave, melt 1/4 cup red raspberry preserves, about 45 seconds.  Stir to smooth out lumps.  Spoon over dollops of cheesecake batter.

With soup spoon, turn batter over, turning pan as you go.  To do this, drop the spoon in the center of the pan and pull it under to the outside edge, and then up and back to the center, about six or eight times in wide sweeps, rotating the pan until you've gone all the way around.  You'll have a nice swirl of batters.

Make streusel topping:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
8 tsp. butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Pour melted butter over top, and with pastry blender or a fork, work the butter into the dry mixture until you have a loose crumb topping.

Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batters in the pan, completely covering the surface.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes to one hour or until cake tests done.  NOTE:  ovens vary - you may have to bake this for a shorter or longer period of time.  Make sure you test with a toothpick or knife and that it comes out clean.  Start testing around 50 minutes.  Mine had to go for over an hour...


Once out of the oven, cool completely.  Once cooled, run knife around edge of pan to make sure it doesn't stick and when it moves freely all the way around, release the spring and remove the side of the pan.

Dust top with confectioners sugar.

Still warm - couldn't wait!

You can see the cheesecake and raspberry...

Chocolate Sorbet from Ina Garten

Yep, my go-to woman for delicious desserts has hit another home run, this time with Chocolate Sorbet.  Ina Garten's name appears often in these posts, and it's because she is so basically good:  not a lot of pretentious ingredients or complicated steps, but easy-to-follow, common sense recipes that are accessible to the novice cook and interesting enough for the more experienced.  I love Ina.  People sometimes tell me that I remind them of her, and I really don't know what to say about that.  I usually respond that we have too much in common (dark hair, love to bake/cook, and are both somewhat Rubinesque!) but apparently there is something to it.  I hear it all the time.  I don't know -- you take a look at my profile photo and tell me if you see it.  I don't...  What we don't have in common:  she has a house in the Hamptons.  I don't.

Anyway, Ina and I both love sorbet, and her recipe for the chocolate variety garners her usual rave reviews.  It is creamy yet it contains no dairy.  If you don't have an ice cream maker (my daughter Katie has one, an attachment for her Kitchen Aid!), you can proceed by putting the mixture in a shallow glass or metal pan in the freezer, and give it a good scrape with a fork every few hours until it is scoopable.  The freezer version might be a bit grainier than the machine mixture, but it will be equally delicious.

CHOCOLATE SORBET
Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) with my notes added

    *  1 cup sugar
    * 1/2 cup very good cocoa powder (recommended: Pernigotti) Note:  Hershey's is fine!
    * 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    * 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 2 cups water
    * 1/4 cup brewed espresso (1 shot)  Note: 1/4 cup brewed coffee is fine
    * 11/2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (recommended: Tia Maria)  Note:  liqueur keeps the sorbet from freezing too hard - vodka or kahlua would work, too.  It's just a little bit, but use something you love.

Directions

In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in 2 cups water and the espresso. Cook over low heat until the ingredients are dissolved. Off the heat, stir in the coffee liqueur. Transfer to plastic containers and refrigerate until very cold.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions. The sorbet will still be soft; place it in a plastic container and freeze for 1 hour or overnight, until firm enough to scoop.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2670139706_fd6b74f967.jpg

Easy Strawberry Jam from Ina Garten

The Barefoot Contessa does not steer us wrong, as evidenced by the 5-star rating reviewers gave her recipe for Easy Strawberry Jam.  It is strawberry season now in upstate New York, and Hand Melon Farm in Greenwich, New York (about a 15 minute ride east of Saratoga Springs) has an abundance of pick-your-own rows.  I love strawberry jam, but I don't want to deal with pectin or canning, though this recipe can be canned if you think it will last that long (link for canning instructions provided below).

Anyway, everything Ina Garten touches turns to culinary gold, and her recipe from the Food Network Web site is no different.  With just three ingredients (sugar, strawberries, lemon) it really can't be any simpler. 

INA GARTEN'S EASY STRAWBERRY JAM

Ingredients

    * 2 cups sugar
    * 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
    * 1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines linked here.

Photo image: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/easy-strawberry-jam-recipe/index.htm

Homemade Granola Bars from Ina Garten

My lovely student assistant Anne Kenealy was the fortunate recipient last week of a "care package" from her mom. It contained, among other things, a box of individually wrapped, homemade granola bars. They were beautiful rectangles of nutritional chewy goodness, and she shared one with me. Now I can't wait to make my own. The great thing about granola bars is that they can be customized to your own tastes. Like nuts? Add those. More fruit? Do that. Craving chocolate? Throw in some semi-sweet chips. Anne sent me the recipe her mother uses, with the following notation:

"Here's my mom's granola bar recipe, which she said she got from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics Cookbook. She said, 'I usually only add apricots and sour cherries (from Trader Joes) instead of dates and cranberries. I've also made them with golden raisins if I'm out of apricots and sour cherries.'"

Thanks to Anne, and to Anne's mom, and once again to my favorite cook, Ina Garten.

Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt ina small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Photo credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2972411557_0a8e6889c9.jpg

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

I've had dinner a few times at Forno Tuscano in Saratoga Springs, where my sister-in-law Suzette once ordered the entree "Three Ps" for prosciutto, peas, and (I think) pesto.  This recipe is similar to the one I remember. It comes from Ina Garten and the Food Network and is also a three p-er (sounds bad, somehow!), named so for its pasta, pesto, and peas.  Pasta dishes can be heavy, and despite the olive oil, mayo, and cheese, this one might seem deceivingly light for all the fresh flavors.  But if it's an occasional indulgence, it just might be worth it. 

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

Original recipe on Food Network site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pasta-pesto-and-peas-recipe/index.html

Cheddar Herb Scones

This savory scone is inspired from the early morning version I usually bake, which is adapted from the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. It is also pays homage to its cousin, Red Lobster's wonderful Cheddar Bay Biscuit. My family and I often have dinner at Red Lobster in Queensbury, New York. It has a nice sea-faring atmosphere and, for a "chain" restaurant, the food is always affordable and very good. It's a place where my siblings and I can sit for a long time after dinner and laugh like fools!

This scone doubles as a nice side for a hot breakfast or as a welcome replacement for the usual dinner roll or sliced Italian bread. It comes together very easily—no mixer needed. These freeze very well, too. If this recipe makes more than you need for one occasion, simply place in a freezer bag after cutting the dough apart. When you’re ready to bake, take out what you need, let thaw for a few minutes and bake as usual.

Cheddar Herb Scone

Oven 375°F

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
8 tsp. cold butter (1/2 cup plus two tsp.), grated or chopped into small (pea-sized) pieces
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fresh, savory herb of your choice (or 1 tbsp. dry) I like dill, parsley, or basil.
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup buttermilk (or milk soured for five minutes with 1.5 tsp. vinegar)
Egg wash (1 additional egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water)

Mix flour with baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in grated butter, cheddar cheese, and herbs. Make a well in center.

Mix beaten egg with milk and pour into center of well. Pull all dry ingredients into the wet with a fork until all is incorporated.

On floured surface, form into two disks about six inches round. Place on wax paper or parchment paper on cookie sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and cut each disk into sixths.

Separate into individual scones on cookie sheet.

Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Photo Credit: http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2008/02/08/IG1004_Cheddar_Dill_Scones_lg.jpg

Grillin' Time - Hamburgers

It’s grilling season. If you’re a vegetarian or otherwise non-meat eater, you probably won’t be interested in what follows. Or, you can read on for fun and then just bring your own veggie burger to the next party, like my brother Steven does. No missing a barbeque just because he doesn’t eat barbeque!

This is about meat. Specifically, hamburgers.

All seven of my readers (!) know I love Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa. Must admit I’m a BC groupie, for her cookbooks and her show. This post is about Ina's burgers. I won’t pretend for one second that the recipe that follows is health food. I also won’t say you shouldn’t try it. Myself, I’m a hot dog girl—well done to the extreme, toasted bun, cheap yellow mustard and relish—but now and then a burger hits the spot. If you are one who likes to indulge occasionally in a great burger, you’ve gotta give this one a go. Here, you mix two types of ground beef with other simple ingredients (including additional fat from egg yolk and a slight pat of butter!). But before you lambaste me with the greasy side of the spatula, you should know that the result earned a respectable four stars out of five by the ninety-six enthusiastic burger reviewers on the FN site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/real-hamburgers-recipe/index.html. (Make sure to check out reviewers’ comments – they always add their own little tricks to personalize a recipe, and some may appeal to you.)

You can use this recipe as is or take the basic idea and change it up to your liking. I’ve even heard of using a few ice chips, instead of butter, in the center of the burger to keep it moist and juicy.

The Barefoot Contessa’s Real Hamburgers
(makes 10-12)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground chuck
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 3 tablespoons steak sauce (recommended: Crosse & Blackwell) – that’s Ina Talking, I like Heinz 57 or A-1 just fine
• 6 extra-large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 12 hamburger buns

Directions

Carefully mix the meats, steak sauce, egg yolks, salt, and pepper with the tines of a fork, but do not mash it. Lightly form each hamburger and lightly press into a patty shape. Make an indentation and put a thin slice of butter inside each hamburger, making sure the butter is entirely encased in the meat.
Heat a grill, broiler, or saute pan and cook the hamburgers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until almost done. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the hamburgers to rest for 5 minutes and serve immediately on buns.

Photo credit: http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/images/hamburger02.jpg

Ode to the Barefoot Contessa!

I REALLY love the Food Network. Sometimes I wonder if a twelve-step program is necessary to deal with the addiction. Turns out the FN has been my gateway "drug" to craving more reality programming. Recently I’ve been exposed to HGTV (interest due to construction of the new digs – love Property Virgins) and now I’m hopelessly caught up in TLC’s Jon and Kate plus Eight – a guilty pleasure. Despite all the doom-and-gloom press, there’s hope that they work things out and stay married. I am always so sad for divorcing couples and just love those kids. They’re so damn cute. Let’s face it, life is not easy and this show highlights just how hard it can be for young couples (they’re in their early thirties) facing challenges in their marriages, no matter the stressors. In my retrospective mid-50s mind, I wonder if they can get through this and be fine. (In my own life, I wouldn’t have known it might have been fine, but then, it might not have.) I watch it more than sometimes. It’s whenever I can catch that show. I can stop anytime, though. (Can you spell r-e-h-a-b?) Note: I do have a real life and it’s busy.

When I'm in TV world, I worship the Food Network’s Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa. She’s one of the best cooks I’ve ever watched on television. Her joyful manner and calm demeanor add to her charm. I’ve been told I “look like that lady on the Food Network” and while I don’t think so, I can see where people might make a comparison. We both have dark hair, are about the same age, and neither of us are a size six. She sees her husband Jeffrey, a professor, on weekends. I see Russ, also a professor, every third weekend or so. We both have important relationships with wonderful gay men in our lives. That’s where the similarities end. She lives in the Hamptons. I could only dream of living in the Hamptons (though my cousin Billy does!). She used to work in the White House as some sort of engineering, mathematical wizard. The last white house I lived in was a raised ranch on Salem Drive in Saratoga Springs. I took algebra three times before I finally moved on to geometry.

My admiration for the Contessa is great and I use her recipes all the time. She has a terrific approach to creating and serving wonderful meals. There’s no pretension as the food, rather than the cook, takes center stage. She presents a personalized, welcoming table geared toward her guests’ interests. My favorite of her recipes is for raisin scones, which I’ve changed up a bit. Ina calls for heavy or whipping cream and I use buttermilk. She kneads and shapes hers differently than I do. Still, it’s basically the same thing and it gets rave reviews. Rather than claim my scones as an old Irish family recipe (I’ve inherited no old Irish family recipes), I always give Ina credit. If I'm asked, I refer to the Food Network website (http://foodnetwork.com), my source for many favorite dishes.

If you're one of those who turns down scones because you find them too dry, do what our friends across the pond do - serve them with jam and/or clotted cream (found in specialty stores like Putnam Market in Saratoga Springs). No clotted cream? Just beat up a very firm batch of sweetened heavy cream, almost to the butter stage.

Next time I bake these I’ll take photos and add them to this post, but for now, here’s the recipe. (Though I swore I’d never use it after high school, algebra ultimately came in handy when I started baking and had to figure quantities! – and wasn’t there something about pie squared?!)

Raisin Scones - makes 24! (double batch – use your algebra and reduce by half if you prefer)

4 cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
3 bars ice cold butter, finely diced or grated (watch those knuckles)
scant cup of buttermilk – about a tablespoon short of a cup, or heavy cream
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ - ¾ cup raisins, tossed in a little bit of flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar tossed with 1 tsp. cinnamon
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water)

In large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until it mixes in enough and is the size of small peas.
In separate bowl, whisk together four eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla and pour all at once into flour mixture. Mix until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

On floured surface, separate batter into fourths. Flatten each fourth into a disk about six inches round and one inch thick. For each disk, press one fourth of the raisins into the surface and sprinkle with 1/4th of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style and then shape into a ball, seam side down. Flatten the ball into a new six-inch round circle with more height in the center and tapered a bit at the sides (1/2 inch at sides, inch in the center). Cut each circle into sixths and separate scones. Place ½ inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet and brush with egg wash. If you don’t have a pastry brush, just dab the egg on with a scrunched-up paper towel. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.

Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely, or not.

You will be adored for these.


Next blog: The Food Network’s Ellie Krieger. Her incredible and healthy recipes are the perfect antidote for all the butter in this recipe, and for my future tribute to Paula Deen!

(photo of Ina Garten from Google Images: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cardiogirl.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/ina-garten.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cardiogirl.net/%3Fp%3D711&usg=__h-uAL2qHsN4pGx_ZQlEmK0-JdCk=&h=460&w=360&sz=40&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=rZYh1KzNXHl99M:&tbnh=128&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIna%2BGarten%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG)